Super Bowl XLVIII Party Prices: Be Ready to Pay to Play

We have heard how high the going rates are for hotel rooms in the New York City area for individuals interested in watching the Seahawks and Broncos play in Super Bowl XLVIII.

The late Deacon Jones & I at a Super Bowl XLV party

Let me let you in on a little Super Bowl secret: the game is almost secondary to the parties, people-watching and playin', if you know what I mean.

I received an offer to purchase tickets to some Super Bowl XLVIII parties recently and almost gagged at the sticker shock.

ESPN's NEXT Party
Want to party with ESPN celebs and professional athletes along with the women and men who love to jocksniff them?

Then the ESPN The Magazine's NEXT Party on Friday, January 31st might be for you.

Here's the invitation:
Join top athletes and celebrities for the VIP-only launch of ESPN The Magazine's NEXT issue, showcasing an elite group of emerging athletes to watch in 2014. If you prefer mingling with some of the most fashionable models and stars, check out the hottest party of the weekend, hosted by Maxim magazine. Featuring headline performances and DJs at both events, it all adds up to an unforgettable weekend!

Tickets to this bash at Basketball City on the Lower East Side are $1,100 per person and include "host bar, hors d'oeuvres, live music and a headliner performance". 

The Maxim Magazine Party 

What would a sporting event be with a Maxim Magazine party?  On February 1st, partygoers can mix and mingle with some of the hottest d-bags in the city.  Okay, that's a little harsh but....it's true.

To hang with a Maxim girl it will cost you a bit more than an ESPN celeb.  Tickets to the Central Park party are $1,200 per person and include "host bar, hors d'oeuvres, live music and a headliner performance". 

Both of those descriptions are pretty generic-sounding, aren't they? 

Understandably prices are higher in the NYC area for everything.  I get that.  Still, would you pay that much for a Super Bowl party?  Have you? 

A New Orleans Primer: Where to Stay, Eat & Drink if You're Visiting for Super Bowl XLVII or Anytime

"America has only three cities: New York, San Francisco, and New Orleans.  Everywhere else is Cleveland.”  --Tennessee Williams.

So true.  

Jackson Square, courtesy Nola CVB

If you're heading to New Orleans for Super Bowl XVLII, congratulations.  It is a magical place.  From the architecture, to the history, the food, the people and more there is something to love at every turn.  I adore the Crescent City for big events: Mardi Gras, All-Star Games, Final Fours, BCS Games, etc.  The city knows how to handle the masses, the police officers are experts at crowd control and the proximity of all the facilities that house the events makes it perfect to get around town, even in bad traffic.

New Orleans is one of my favorite weekend getaways.  We take that 10:30 flight on Southwest airlines from Dallas and are enjoying lunch by 12:30 or 1pm.  It's an easy place to visit from Texas, it's super affordable even if you stay at the city's most luxe hotels and is wonderfully walkable.

I visited about five months after Hurricane Katrina in 2006 and have been making at least three to four visits a year ever since.  Here are some suggestions if you're making first trip or your 50th.